David Eades passes away at 77

David Eades, the city’s longest serving mayor, died Tuesday evening at age 77, following a brief battle with cancer.

Eades was first elected in 1992 and served 24 years as mayor, retiring on Dec. 31, 2015.

Prior to that, he was a city councilman for 10 years.

His tenure saw both change and challenges as London’s population grew from 7,800 to 9,900.

He was most proud of fostering the extension of Keny Boulevard between State Route 38 and U.S. 42. He hoped the road could eventually be extended to State Route 56, giving London an “outerbelt” of sorts.

He was also proud of helping to obtain $10 million in CHIP grants to improve residential housing in the city.

Eades was often at odds with city council, accusing members of “micro-management” and failing to seize good opportunities for improvement and cost-cutting when they arose.

Funeral arrangements at Eberle Fisher Funeral Home & Crematory in London are pending.